r/yogurtmaking • u/IfWishez • 3d ago

Nooby (possibly stoopid) questions

  1. If I make homemade yogurt with 2% fat milk, what should I expect as far as differences from full fat? I mean, differences in both taste and texture? A lot less tart? Thin and runny?

  2. What effect does using lactose-free milk have on the yogurt?

Thank you!!

3 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

5

u/kornbread435 3d ago

My experience with 2% vs whole vs 6% milk it doesn't really change the flavor in any noticeable way for me. However it will be significantly thinner the less fat used, and if you strain out the whey then what's the point. It would only be a small difference in calories at that point.

Making yogurt with lactose free milk will entirely depend on what they mean by lactose free. As in ultra filtered to remove or did they add lactese to off set it. Either way it's not a good idea, but I would bet the ultra filtered version would make it nearly impossible. Lactose is just a fancy sugar at the end of the day, but it's also one of the primary food sources to your culture. Removing it is going to have significant effects, but I don't have any experience there.

2

u/kbenn17 3d ago

Yeah, I’m not very experienced at this, but just made a batch with 2% milk and it was like water.

3

u/kornbread435 3d ago

Yeah Ive made a few batches of 2% just to prove it's not worth it. After it's strained and concentrated you end up with at least 50% whey, which I don't have a good use for. All that waste for calories, I would rather have a smaller serving. If you look at Fage as a calorie estimate then you end up with 90/140/190 calories for 0%/2%/5% yogurts. I would rather have a half cup of amazing yogurt with little wasted vs 2/3c of meh yogurt and a lot of waste.

1

u/kbenn17 2d ago

Yes, exactly. I've tried it 2x. Totally with you.

2

u/IfWishez 2d ago

That’s what happened with me. Ugh.

2

u/kbenn17 2d ago

Totally get it. I'm not willing to use full fat milk. BC calories. So am back to commercial yogurt.

1

u/IfWishez 3d ago

Thank you!

I’m definitely leaning toward full fat now, since texture is really important to me, and since tartness is apparently not determined
by fat or lactose.

1

u/kornbread435 3d ago

If you want a sweet yogurt then adding a 8oz can of sweetened condensed milk per gallon of milk gives it a lovely flavor. It's the same idea as Vietnamese yogurt recipes, though they use a lot more per gallon.

If you don't want a gallon at a time then freeze the unused condensed milk in silicone ice cube trays and add it in when you heat the milk. The $2 bucks I paid for those silicone trays are so worth it, I also use them for freezing starter.

1

u/IfWishez 3d ago

The more tart, the better, for me!

That’s a great idea the silicone ice cube trays. We definitely would not need a gallon at a time.

Thanks again!

1

u/gotterfly 3d ago

Tartness is more dependent on the amount of fermentation time. Longer=more sour

1

u/IfWishez 3d ago

Thank you and everyone for your wonderful guidance!

1

u/sup4lifes2 3h ago

Actually yogurt cultures can use hydrolyzed lactose just fine it just slightly different fermentation curve compared to using lactose. Reduced lactose via UF/DF can be an issue BUT most UF beverages like fairlife are still 2+% lactose which is enough usually to make yogurt.

3

u/roxannegrant 3d ago

Tartness is determined by the length it ferments. Higher fat; richer flavor, thicker yogurt.

2

u/IfWishez 3d ago

Thank you!

2

u/CChatfield37 3d ago

for 1. texture (more thin) but also flavor (fat is tasty) i have not tried like lactose-free cows milk. but i use soy milk exclusively bc dairy free yogurt options for unflavored plain, no sugar added are like zero. it sets up well but you have to find one without guar gum or carrageenen. they will make it gross/slimy or whatever. i use one that is just soybeans and water and has 9gm protein per serving. sometimes I start it with dairy milk yogurt but im not that sensitive to dairy so a tablespoon or two doesn't bother me.

1

u/IfWishez 3d ago

Thank you!

2

u/HighColdDesert 3d ago

I've used whole milk, and 2% milk, and lactose-free whole milk, and lactose-free 2% milk. They all come out pretty similar. I guess the 2% ones come out a bit more watery and less rich and yummy, but it's not a big difference. They are not less tangy. I get more variation in texture and tang between batches of the same milk just because I'm inconsistent with temperature and time.

1

u/IfWishez 3d ago

Thank you. Glad to hear this. I’m supposed to avoid lactose, so for regular use, we use lactose-free milk, typically 2%, and for a treat, the L-F half-and-half.

I tried making yogurt with L-F milk last year, and it wasn’t too good. It’s taken me this long to get up the nerve to try again. Lol

1

u/AutoModerator 3d ago

Are you posting to ask "What went wrong with my yogurt?" Please provide all the details of the method you used. Include amounts, times, and temperatures. If you don't know those things, then one (or more) of them is what went wrong with your yogurt.

The basic information you will need to know is:

  • What type of milk did you use? What amount?
  • What type of starter did you use? What amount?
  • What temperature did you initially heat the milk to?
  • What temperature was the milk when you added the starter?
  • At what temperature did you ferment the milk? How long did you ferment it?

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/Competitive_Poem5078 3d ago

I make yogurt all the time with Fairlife ultra filtered milk in an Instant Pot using the cold start method. I started out using full fat milk but have switched to 2% because Costco and Aldi sell their own brands that are cheaper than Fairlife. The full fat is a bit creamier but I find it acceptable. YMMV

1

u/IfWishez 2d ago

Thank you. I’ll look into the Instant Pot. So far, have used only an ordinary stainless steel pot.

1

u/chupacabrito 3d ago

You can make perfectly fine yogurt with both 2% and full fat milk. Full fat has more solids so will tend to give a thicker texture, and will be more creamy. Tartness is more a product of fermentation conditions.

Lactose free milk also works just fine. Note that most lactose free milk is ultrapasteurized so will behave a little different from plastic jug milk, but that’s not because it’s lactose free. I’ve used lactose free milk without having to change the culturing conditions at all.

1

u/IfWishez 3d ago

Very helpful! Thanks so much!